There are actually quite a few “little” big fans of our ramen especially the dashi driven Shio, shoyu and tsukemen. These guys actually choose us as their birthday meals over McDonald’s. I am quite flattered and am slightly moved thinking that I am contributing a bit to a future of eating well.

I try to flood my normal adult customers with information about the technique, source and passion that goes into my bowl but that kind of intellectual overload aside, the kids just simply love our flavour. Some of us adults including me, have been crammed with overwhelming flavours for a long time that we have just become so used to overloaded flavours and we just keep on wanting more stimulation or unconsciously leaning towards heavier flavours. The kids on the other hand have the most sensitive palates. They usually dislike spicy or too strong flavours. I think that is the way they should be. Their palate will naturally mature and start to want the spiciness or the stimulation as they grow older but while they are young their palate should be free to explore the various different foods within subtle natural flavours and that should hone their sense of taste and make them able to appreciate subtle differences. Once they are introduced to heavy or artificial flavours, it could be detrimental to their palate growth and building a sense of taste refined enough to enjoy the various flavours in the world, let alone growing up healthily, period. I find it intriguing and humbled that kids find the Shio or the shoyu to be a favourite in their field of subtle natural flavours.

We have started to utilize pressure cooking of our soup and are currently tweaking the recipe and methods. The benefits of pressure cooking are 1) able to get a denser more freshly gelatinous soup, 2) fuel efficient = ecofriendly, 3) supply quantity increases. As of today, the resulting soup tastes beautiful using the same ingredients as before but the taste does not maintain until the end of the day. When the soup is fresh (this is best at 11:30 beginning of lunch shift) the soup is gelatinous, rich and tastes wonderful. However during the course of the day, it gradually loses emulsification and becomes light. This is what we are trying to improve. In the meantime, we will continue to serve Tonkotsu ramen but just as a token of our appreciation for your understanding, we will discount $1.00. Thank you for your cooperation. We certainly welcome any feedback and will reflect in our upgrading process.

Aji no Meimon Head Quarters @ Shichijo Shichihonmatsu. This was probably the best bowl rated by university student Taro Akimoto 20years old 17 years ago. Sticky collagenous chicken soup with no added oils. Enjoyed the same taste, had to be my first bowl to start my ramen memoir journey.

Gogyo @ Shijo Sakuranobanba. Recommended by N san. Not on my memory list, but after reading about it, a good choice for a few drinks and nibbles and a bowl to finish things off. The atmosphere and service standards, high motivation of the staff creating a vivbrant feel, all very good stimulation. They’ve refurbished a Machiya style house probably 300-400 years old to a ramen shop and bar. The burnt miso ramen’s burn tongue temperature, a really interesting one making me want to experiment too!

11:30 July 1本日一発目は渡辺製麺@西院。日本離れたのが8年前なんで魚介豚骨つけ麺を始めて食べた。魚介濃厚豚骨って話だけどデンプンぽいドロドロさは天一系に魚粉いれた感じ？麺はなかなかだけど僕だったらもう少し加水高めてもっともちもちさせるかな。

Watanage Seimen @ Saiin. Have not actually had the chance to try out the Tonkotsu Fish Stock Tsukemen which became main stream several years ago after I left Japan. So this one also not on my memory list but good breakfast to start the day. The soup felt not so thick from Tonkotsu protein and fatness but more from starch driven thickness. Which is not unpleasant but left me still wondering if the real famous shops are also like this. The noodles also could have been a bit more resilient chewiness which I think can be bettered with more moisture during the noodle knedding process. Anyway a decent bowl.

13:00 July 1思い出の一番星。マスターは屋台3年、岡崎で34年。味も素敵な笑顔も全く変わっていませんでした。僕はまだ3年、頑張るぞ！

Ichibanboshi @ Okazaki. From the outside, you can never tell that this coffee shop looking place is a ramen shop if it werent for the tonkotsu aroma reeking the perimeter. I rode my bycicle around the corner and smiled to myself as I knew straigth away from the smell that they were open from down the block. This is the place that i frequented dueing my student days. Probably twice a week. I was able to speak to the master in depth for the first time in 18 years and introduce myself as a fan and that I have followed his path in Brisbane Australia. He was very happy to hear of my story and we shook hands. His stock is tonkotsu predominant and charsiu seasoning as the predominant tare. Topping is 3-4 decent slices of belly and or shoulder charsiu (very very good!), sprouts, shallots, bamboo shoots. I always add some raw egg. He has been keeping his style for 3 years as mobile yatai and 34 years at the current location. He mentioned there are so many restaurants in Kyoto but still there was a need for a different taste and went for a distinct tonkotsu predominant ramen compared with the other shops that used chicken mainly. Compare to his 37 years, I am still not even born. Gambaro!

14:00 July 1 Tenkaippin Head Quarters @ Kitashirakawa. (just as a spiritual pilgrimage, no eating).

Other shots. Lost track of time exploring and testing my memory and wasn’t able to score my fifth bowl of ramen.

Nishiki Markets and me sampling some ayu and hamo.

Doshisha Uni, Otani Uni.

Nanzenji Temple and Biwako Sosui.

A shot of my super fast ride of the day ($5 for the day and quicker than car or train!).

Until a couple weeks afo, we have been selling out of Tonkotsu soup and many customers have expressed their disappointment. So we started pushing harder to make more soup. Happy to say that we did not sell out once last week.

We were recently picked up as one of the best ramen in Brisbane. They let us choose which ramen to picture so I chose the Tsukemen. This one, I believe is already currently pretty close to perfect, meaning not much more I can alter to make it any better. Tonkotsu, Shoyu and others, I still need to keep working on.

Brisbane’s best ramen

Asian influence

It’s fast food, but not as we know it. In Japan there’s a ramen shop on just about every corner, but in Brisbane, they’re only just starting to take off. Believed to have originated with the Chinese, ramen are basically noodles in a flavoured broth. However, aficionados will tell you there are good and bad as well as many variations, favoured by the inhabitants of different regions of Japan. Hearty, healthy and good value. Eschew the burger and fries for a bowl of steaming ramen at the pick of Brisbane’s ramen shops.

Natascha Mirosch, Food Editor

Taro’s Ramen and Cafe

Ground Level, Boeing House
363 Adelaide Street, City
Ph 3832 6358

A more sophisticated offering than usual, both in seating options and menu. No MSG or preservatives are used and the pork is quality Bangalow pork, while the special water (must be referring to Kansui or lye water, ie sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate) used to make the noodles is imported from Japan. There are around half a dozen ramen, from the Tonkotsu to a fiery Tonkotsu, Shio or Golden Triple Soup – a chicken, vegetable and seafood broth with prawn oil. Each large bowl comes with generous amounts of spring noodles, as well as, from boiled egg halves to nori and bamboo shoots, priced between $13.80 and $15.80. (prices now 13.90 to 15.90)

Hakataya Noodle

You’ll know you’ve found it from the line that begins forming from 11am. This is a sister to the popular Hakataya noodle shop in Surfers Paradise. Order at the counter and take a number to one of the outdoor tables or squeeze in at the bench and watch the action in the kitchen. The menu has four types of ramen priced between $10 and $13, from the clear broth of the Nagahama with thin slices of pork and spring onions to a miso-based and richer Karaka men. They come with a side of spicy pickles and extra noodles are free if you ask for them when ordering.

Men-Jikan

1/16 Railway Parade, Geebung
Ph 3265 5665

Terry Forbes fell in love with ramen on a visit to Japan. A chef who is self taught in the art of ramen, he opened this simple ramen shop in Geebung in mid-2011. A master miso paste is the basis of many of the ramen broths that come in eight types, from soy to butter and corn or a spicy miso. All have generous amounts of meat and are garnished with half a soft-boiled egg and other goodies like fermented bamboo shoots. Prices are from $10-$16.